Open Access

In October 2004, SSHRC adopted, in principle, a policy of open access that would guide the development of its research support programs.

Following consultations with the research community, SSHRC’s governing council decided in 2006 to take an awareness-raising, educational and promotional approach to the implementation of this policy, rather than imposing mandatory requirements. As a first step, SSHRC invited applications for financial support from open access journals, in order to contribute to the sustainability of those journals that meet international standards for quality.

SSHRC is now examining how open access provisions can be incorporated effectively into other research support programs. SSHRC continues to consult the research community regularly to ensure that policies meet their needs and the needs of Canadians as a whole.

Comprehensive Brief on Open Access
The Comprehensive Brief on Open Access to Publications and Research Data for the Federal Granting Agencies will be used as a starting point to inform discussions between the three federal granting agencies (SSHRC, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research [CIHR] and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council [NSERC]) as they consider how to implement open access measures over the next few years. The agencies’ ultimate goal is to adopt a joint policy on access to research results.

The briefing paper is available at www.science.gc.ca.

Access to Research Results: Guiding Principles

As the Government of Canada’s principal funders of research and scholarship in the higher education sector, SSHRC, CIHR and NSERC actively promote a collaborative, vibrant and innovative research enterprise in Canada. As part of this commitment, these organizations have developed a shared set of guiding principles for improving access to publicly funded research.

Learn more at www.science.gc.ca.